Finishing strip



May 5, 1936. Y BISHOP 2,039,877

FINISHING STRIP Filed Dec. 12, 19152 Waller 73234: 0

Patented May 5, I936 PATENT oFFica FINISHING STRIP Walter Bishop, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Back stay Welt Company, Union'City, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application December 12, 1932, Serial No. 646,828

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to finishing strips including welts, gimps, and bindings used in trimming furniture and other upholstered articles including the bodies of automobiles and more especially to that type of trimming strips known as blind nail, i. e., the type in which the strip is secured in place by tacks, nails, etc. passed through one portion of the strip and the securing means then hidden from view by folding over another portion upon such means.

One of the difficulties encountered with such strips heretofore has been the tendency of the folded portion to partially unfold or open when the fabric composing the strip is heavy or stiff. This difficulty has been overcome in one instance by Weaving into the material a strand of wire which took the form of a zigzag back and forth across the fabric strip. Such a form of material is shown in the U. S. patent to Schimmel, No. 1,869,080. Another form of fabric is shown in Schimmel Patent No. 1,528,699.

In both of these patents a previously prepared specially woven strip of fabric is required and it is therefore among the objects of the present invention to overcome this difficulty so as to produce the same or improved effect at a lower cost.

Another object is the production of such welts or strips while utilizing any commonly used fabric or strip material.

A further object is a strip of the type indicated, in which, when the concealing portion is folded over the securing means, the wires will be distorted beyond their elastic limit and therefore will not have a tendency to open the strip.

Still further objects and advantages will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a View of the preferred form of the strip in process of making and showing the several elements used.

Figure 2 shows a section of such a strip in place as a finishing element.

Figure 3 is a sectional View in perspective of a modification.-

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3 but showing the latter form of strip flattened.

Figure 5 shows an intermediate step in production of a welt, using the strip of Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 shows the welt of Figure 5 finished and indicates the method of use, and

Figure 7 shows a section of the latter in use.-

The form of welt shown in Figures 1 and 2 is produced from a single strip of suitable fabric of a width sufficient to provide for turning back the edges over the cords and padding material customarily used in such welts and such a strip is indicated at 10 in flattened condition, indicating its width.

In producing this form of the welt the strip is first bent backward along a line substantially central and such folded portion is indicated at l I. In this folded condition, short pieces of wire l2 are passed thru the fold at suitable short intervals producing a structure similar to that indicated in Figure 3. After the wires have been inserted the strip is opened out flat again, as at the portion marked with the numeral l 0, and the edges turned in over suitable padding materials and sewed in this position.

A preferred form of padding material for one of the edges is indicated as a cord 15, while the other padding material for the other edge is indicated as a strip l6, which is flat on one side and curved on the other, being placed in the welt with the flat side up when viewed in the position shown in Figure 1. It is preferred to include a strip of binding material IT to cover on one side the ends of wires l2, so that when the latter are bent in applying the strip, there is less tendency for them to move endwise and perforate the fabric [0. 0n suitable machines the material is sewed lengthwise close tothe cord as at the point indicated by the numeral 20, while another seam is made at about the point indicated by the numeral 2|. This produces a welt having a section such as is shown at the lower end of Figure 1.

In applying the welt, suitable tacks 22 will be driven thru the fiat portion into the supporting member 23 over the meeting edges of covering fabric 24, so as to conceal such edges. After the welt has been tacked into place the edge 25 will be folded over approximately along the seam 2i and the bead 25 will then cover the heads of the tacks. Such folding will bend the wires I2 over upon themselves and when the bead is pressed down tightly the wires will be bent sharply to a point beyond their elastic limit and therefore retain the bead in covering position Without any tendency toward reopening.

A modified form of the welt is indicated in Figures 3 to 7. In this form a strip 30 of any suitable material, in width not greatly in excess of the length of the wires may be used. The strip will be bent upon the central line as in the case of the preferred form and the wires I2 inserted in similar fashion. After this step the strip will be flattened as shown in Figure 4, and the edges 3| turned over the ends of the wires and cemented in place.

In the use of this form of strip the covering fabric 32 will have the strip 30 sewed to one edge as shown in Figure 5 and the edges turned in over cord [5 and filler l6 as in Figure 1 and sewed at the point 33 as indicated in Figure 6. In this form the single seam will hold all of the parts in their proper relation.

What I claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture a strip of welt making material having a plurality of short parallel wires thrust crosswise therein, in such fashion that both ends of a wire lie upon the same surface of the material, and spaced from each other a short distance, thelengthof said wires being less than the width of :said strip, the

marginal edges of said strip being folded over the ends of said wires.

2. A finishing strip, for upholstery or the like,

wherein securing means is-passed through the strip intermediate its edges and an edge folded over such means to conceal the same, including a longitudinal piece of fabric or the like having 'a plurality of short -wires passing therethrough at least twice, whereby the .rre'e ends lie on the same surface of the piece, said wires being parallel and lying transversely of the strip, being vspaced a short distance from each other, and being shorter than the width of the piece, whereby the edges of the piecemay befolded over the wire ends.

WALTER BISHOP. 

